Don't Let Me Down
by HaloHunter89
Summary: "The future is called "perhaps," which is the only possible thing to call the future. And the only important thing is not to allow that to scare you." Tennessee Williams [Caryl Prompt]


**Prompt request from a friend. Happy Halloween everyone. :D**

The tick of the clock, the clicking of a bic pen, and the odd cough every now and then was the only sound. A random tap of a foot and the stuffy atmosphere continued to smother. Eyes never straying from the clock above the receptions desk. The paperwork was finished three weeks ago and now it was just waiting. The call had been unexpected this soon but who was she to complain. This was what she wanted after all and she was happy. The waiting was killing her.

"Ms. Helton."

Carol stood straightened her shirt nervously.

* * *

 **Fifteen Years Later**

Daryl drummed his finger on the desk. His boss was bitching him out, again, no thanks to Merle. Merle on the other hand was scott-fucking-free. Like always. This was always what happened. He was left to pick up the pieces of the disaster zone Merle left behind.

"Is he even coming into today or not, Daryl?" Jerry Richards questioned.

Daryl ran his hand through his hair. He really wanted a cigarette but he had no money for it thanks to having to bail Merle out this morning. A Merle who woke up still drunk and stumbling. He'd had no choice but to drop him off back at home. Now his boss was pissed off because it'd been Daryl to ask him to give Merle a chance.

"No." Daryl said with a note of resignation in his voice.

His boss glowered at him over his thick rimmed glasses. Daryl stared at the wall just over his right shoulder. There was a particularly nasty stain there and it was more interesting than seeing the look of pure hate on his boss's face.

"I can't have this going on. I tried for you because you're a good worker Daryl." He tossed a folder onto the desk. "Your brother is another story. He's fired effectively immediately. I'll give you his check for what hours he'd put in but tell him not bother coming back by."

Daryl nodded succinctly. What was the point in arguing? This was the seventh time this month and this was only the second week of the month. He'd been absent from work more than he'd been here. No, there was no helping Merle. He didn't want to be helped.

"Alright."

His boss stared at him for a second before sighing. Daryl stood and his boss waved him away. The day went by fast and he was dreading stopping by Merle's later. It'd be a fight. Merle would likely be stoned and start a fight. He'd accuse Daryl of not having his back but fuck he'd had his back since the beginning. The stuff he'd done to get bail money was humiliating to think about to be honest. Thankfully he'd not had to stoop that low ever again. Just the one time and that'd been enough. He'd had a steady job since then and Merle's bail had never been so high. Still his brother had given him shit for years over it. Thankfully he'd finally just shut up about it.

Knocking on Merle's door got him nowhere. He could hear music and laughter inside. Opening the door he was greeted with the sight of the neighborhood whore Jessie straddling his brother, his very naked brother. He looked off and tossed the envelope holding Merle's check down.

"Baby brother!" Merle cackled, already drunk. "Have a seat."

A particularly loud moan followed his words and Daryl grimaced. Merle was disgusting but Jessie was just as bad. She had no problems with climbing on any dick that came around. Even right after the shit that happened with her husband and the town cops. She'd been fucking Merle the day of his funeral. Hell probably even a few on the force.

"There's your check. You got fired."

Daryl stepped out the door and shut it. Merle didn't care. He'd do some stupid shit to make money. It'd work for a while and he'd get arrested. He'd call from jail. It was the same shit just a different day with him.

Daryl pulled up at his own house that was thankfully further from his brothers than walking distance. He didn't like the idea of a drunk naked stumbling Merle just barging into his house yelling about getting fired. It wasn't a fun experience and one he didn't want to repeat. It was part of the reason he moved as far from him as he did.

He paused at the door seeing an envelope tucked between the screen door and the framing. He raised a brow but snagged it and unlocked his door stepping inside. A loud hiss was all he got for a welcome and he glowered at the stray cat. He'd forgot to shut the fucking window in his bedroom again. The cat that he'd started calling Church because it reminded him of the cat from Pet Semetary was glowering at him from atop his counter.

"You're supposed to be a stray." Daryl complained right back.

A glower was his answer. The cat slapped a empty cup by the sink. Almost taking the glass cup to the ground. Daryl caught it and the cat gave him a smug look. Was it considered a stray after the fucker just kept showing up? How long had this been going on now? A month? Two?

Daryl eyed the envelope and finally tore it open after leaving food out for his not pet. He didn't recognize the name at all. What the fuck was this? He read quickly over and immediately decided his brother was fucking with him. He didn't know any fucking Heltons and if damn sure didn't remember ever fucking a woman without a condom. He wasn't to keen on the idea of a burning dick like his brother often got. No, Merle was fucking with him. It made Daryl feel less shitty about telling him he got fired now. He threw the letter away without reading much further into it. He didn't have time for childish games.

* * *

 **Two Months Later**

"Mom!"

Carol looked over at her daughter and smiled. Emily Helton had her mom's wild curls and build but not much else. Her facial features was like no one in Carol's family. Carol attributed them to her father. A man Carol herself never met. Well beyond a piece of paper naming his health and attributes. To some it's been weird and she more than a few looks for being a single mother. Even more when people asked her who the dad was and she just shrugged. Most thought she was a trollop others just stared at her like they didn't understand her thinking when they did ask what happened. Some assumed adoption but personally Carol really didn't care.

She loved her daughter. She'd loved her from the minute she'd made the decision to get pregnant. With or without a relationship. She wanted a career but she wanted a family as well. After multiple failed attempts in relationships she was just tired of it all. The waiting to see if the man was even worth the chance was the worst. Some could fool you for a good amount of time. In the end it came down to a few doctor's visits, a referral, and well after that she was pregnant. Of course more than that happened but at the end of the day she was happy with her decision to do this without forcing a relationship with a man.

"Mom!" Emily huffed. A fine shaped brow arched and her face reddened. "It's been two months."

"I'm aware Emily. What do you want me to do? We went to the agency. They contacted him."

Emily stomped her booted foot and glared. "They said he left the option open, right?"

Carol felt her chest tighten. They did. Whoever the donor was of the sperm had left the option open for his kid to contact him if they ever chose too. That being said it didn't mean he had to return the sentiment. It'd been fifteen years, almost sixteen, and that was a long time. Did he even remember? What kind of man was he? She didn't know. When Emily started asking questions a few years ago it'd pained Carol to tell her she didn't know anything really about him beyond that he was in excellent health.

Of course Emily was a very stubborn child and refused to take that. She'd kept on until they contacted the agency. They searched the records and the man did in fact leave the option of his child or children for that matter to find him. Emily made the decision in the end to do so. It was her father so Carol left the choice up to her. She would never keep her kid from her dad after all. She just hoped that she was setting herself up to be crushed.

Emily pursed her lips. "Maybe he just didn't get it."

"Emily, I think we should be realistic. They can't force him to meet you." Carol replied softly.

The look Emily gave her was wild eyed. It was something that Carol had never herself seen on her own face. Was this something else she got from her dad? Those arctic blue eyes could burn just as much as they could freeze you. The mole that set just above her lip gave a certain kind of beauty to her face that sometime was the only indication that Emily was even amused.

"Well I refuse to believe that he wouldn't want to meet me. Why else would he check the damn box!"

"Language!" Carol snapped.

* * *

Emily smiled at her mom but refused the pitying look she was getting. Instead she plastered on a fake smile and walked to her room. She knew her mom had a layout to finish for some art show coming up. It'd keep her busy and hopefully give her enough time. Besides she'd been planning for a month now. It wasn't a want but a need to know the man who was her father.

She loved her mom and understood her decisions. Still it didn't take away the need to know her father. She could have left it alone if they'd told her at the agency that he'd denied the option to ever know her. No, instead they confirmed that he would. Instead of a faceless man in her dreams she was going to find him and she was going to demand that he get to know her.

Peeking into her mom's studio she found her busy at work. Emily smiled at her and slipped down the hall. She moved stuff in the kitchen for a few minutes and cut the television on. When she was sure her mom wouldn't come out she slipped out the door. She left a note in her room giving the general idea of where she went but not exacts. It wouldn't due for her to find her before she got there of course.

Imagine Emily's surprise when she'd hounded the lady that had her case and found out that she lived in the same county as her father. It took a month of harassment but finally she gave her a name. From there Emily started her search and came up with an address. Checking the clock and seeing that it was just now twelve in the day on a Saturday she made double time to corner. From there she got a cab and tried to not puke.

She would be meeting her father in less than an hour. What if he didn't want to meet her? No, she didn't believe that. What if he was a killer though? He could have bodies in the floor boards! Her mind ran wild the entire drive there and she'd hadn't even paid any attention to scenery. Looking around now she realized that it wasn't in the heart of the city like her and her mom's place. The woods were on both sides of the road and hanging over it. The sun was shining through the orange, brown, yellow, and red leaves of fall. It was quite beautiful and she smiled.

"We're here miss."

Emily swallowed thickly and he eyed her. She nodded opening her door as he told her how much the ride cost. He took her money before looking around again. She was at the end of a long drive way. She'd told him to not bother with driving up it.

"Do you want me to wait Miss?"

Emily met his eyes and couldn't help but smile at the concern there. He could be her grandfather after all. He looked old enough. She shook her head and handed him the money.

Turning her eyes to drive she blew out a heavy breath. This was it. After three years of questioning her mom and fifteen years of dreaming to meet him this was her chance. Was he even home? According to the agency he didn't work weekends. What did that even mean? What did he do? They didn't tell her. They'd just given a name and wished her luck.

Emily could see a house coming into view now and let out a breath. It was beautiful. It wasn't like the apartment they lived in. She loved their apartment but it was loud in the city and this place seemed a world away. The porch that wrapped around it looked deep set and lazy. This was a house from another time and Emily already loved it.

She looked around seeing a truck parked next to a bike. That gave her hope that he'd be here. Walking up the porch briskly and pausing at the door. It would be horrifying to puke on him when he opened the door. What would she say then? "HI I'M YOUR DAUGHTER. SORRY I JUST PUKED ON YOU."

The short time between knocking and hearing heavy footsteps were some of the worst of her life. Sweat broke out across her brow and she felt her shirt stick to her back. Maybe she should have told Father Time Cabbie to stay after all. What if he told her to get lost? She had her phone and could call her mom but she didn't trust that her mom wouldn't march right to the door and hit him for turning her away. Her mom had quite the temper after all.

The door swung open suddenly and her throat constricted.

"Can I help you?" His voice had a thick accent that rolled like whiskey and gravel. He pushed the screen door open and stepped onto the porch. His brow climbed and he looked behind her and then back at her. "You lost?"

Emily swallowed willing her courage to dislodge from her throat. He was real. He was right here and she was going to have a stroke in front of him. She was going to die right here on his door step never getting to say a word.

He snapped his fingers in her face and a look of concern took over his face. "Hey, you okay?"

Emily nodded and then cleared her throat roughly. She hit her chest and coughed slightly. He didn't look so sure but waited.

"Sorry, um…you're name is Daryl Dixon right?" She squeaked out.

His brow arched at her and Emily almost smiled. "Yes."

She held her hand out and smiled at him so wide it hurt. "Hi, I'm Emily Helton and I'm your daughter."

His eyes widened comically and he looked behind her again. He stared at her harshly suddenly and she stepped back.

"Did fucking Merle put you up to this?" He snapped. "You tell that son of a bitch that he isn't funny."

Emily's mouth popped open and she watched as his entire demeanor changed. He went from friendly and concerned to downright rude in seconds. Who was Merle and why did he think he would pull a joke like this? Merle seemed like an asshole. It didn't matter she didn't come here to be ran off like some vagrant.

"Who is Merle?"

He looked at her sharply and he was quiet. His eyes swept over her and Emily tightened her hold on her bag. She had her phone with her of course and she could call her mom if it came down to it. That wasn't happening though. She'd get inside and say she needed to use his phone if she had too. Then he'd be forced to talk to her and she could snoop.

"Are you fucking with me right now, kid?" He questioned.

Emily shook her head. Her wild curls fanned out around her head and her eyes were hopeful. "No sir."

He grimaced and shook his head. "Don't call me Sir. It's weird."

He rubbed his face almost violently before his hand ran through his hair. Emily took the time to look him over as he was distracted. He was in washed out denims that could have been as hold as her and shirt that had some old band logo on it. Over that was a work shirt that was unbuttoned. He was wearing boots. He looked like he'd actually just got off work. She felt questions bubble to the surface and she had to bite her tongue before she overwhelmed him with questions.

When he looked back at her his eyes were still slightly wide but his expression was otherwise passive. He opened his door and stepped inside. Emily took the invitation and walked in. If she loved the outside then she was in heaven inside. It was all dark and rustic. She ate up every detail she could and stashed it away for further inventory when she wasn't here.

"How old are you?" He asked suddenly.

"Fifteen." Emily answered quickly.

"Where's your mom?"

"At home."

He shot her a look and shook his head. "Does she know you're here?"

"I'm guessing that by now she does." Emily smiled ruefully.

"Fuck." He collapsed onto the couch.

"How old are you?" Emily questioned.

He snorted and grunted when a cat suddenly jumped into his lap. He scowled down at it and the cat in turn hissed. Emily watched as he seemed to sort his thoughts out.

"I'm thirty five."

"Who is Merle?"

Daryl chuckled dryly. "My brother."

"I have an uncle!" Her eyes widened.

Daryl looked up at her then and Emily took a seat across from him in an arm chair. He nodded slowly at her.

"Why didn't you respond?" She asked suddenly.

"Respond?" He was watching her closely. He seemed flustered.

"Didn't they contact you? I've been trying to find you for a while. They said they tried to get a hold of you."

Daryl stared off for a second and she waited. He finally sighed and nodded.

"Again thought it was Merle messing with me. Sorry kid."

Emily beamed and let the questions pour out of her. His eyes widened and his face flushed even more but she couldn't help it. Her eyes were looking all around her. There were pictures up and she wanted to get up and look. Would that be rude? Would he get mad? Did she care? Yes. She wanted the option to talk to him again.

* * *

 **A Few Hours Later.**

Carol felt sick to her stomach. By the time she finally found Emily's note and worked out where she was it'd been hours. Hours that she'd been with some stranger. What if he hurt her? What if she got kidnapped! What if her dad was some creeper? Carol would die. Instead she tightened her grip on the steering wheel and eyed the clock. She'd be there in a few minutes.

For all Emily's beauty she had a sharp wit too. She didn't outright leave the address. No, instead she'd hid it in a damned scavenger hunt. When Carol had tried to call all she done was answer texts telling her that she was alive and completely safe. No damned likely! Carol wouldn't believe it till she seen for herself!

When she read the mail box by the road she exhaled roughly. She was here! Finally. She was going to strangle her daughter. She wasn't sure where the hell this behavior came from. Carol never behaved like this when she'd grown up. She'd played things safe as a kid and worked hard in school. Emily done great but she wasn't like her mom. She had her eyes out the window more often than not and a glazed dreamy look on her face. Was this something she shared with her dad?

Pulling to a stop behind a truck was abrupt. Well at least she wasn't at some crack house in the woods! That was little comfort though. She'd been alone with this stranger for hours. It didn't matter that he was her father. He could be insane! He could be married with kids! Oh god what if she'd caused the poor man trouble with his wife. He'd have all kinds of questions to answer to his kids and wife. This was terrible. Why hadn't they considered that before?

The door swung open and Emily was standing there bouncing on the balls of her feet holding a cat. Carol eyed her critically looking for any mark at all visible on her daughter. Nothing looked out of place and Carol let out a breath.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?" Carol's voice was livid.

"Worth it!" Emily beamed.

Carol sucked in a breath at the sight of a smile so wide on her daughter's face. It'd been awhile since she'd seen it. She'd become despondent since finding out that her father was out there and she'd wanted to find him. It wasn't all at once but she knew it weighed heavily on her daughter's heart.

"Mom! He's amazing. You have to meet him." Emily was clutching the cat like a shield.

Carol grit her teeth. Of course her daughter would assume he was amazing. She'd built him up to be some mythical being in her mind. She just hated for when the fallout happened. If he didn't actually try it was going to destroy her daughter.

Emily turned and rushed back inside and Carol's mouth popped open.

"DARYL!" Emily yelled.

Carol rushed inside unsure why her daughter was yelling. She found her standing in the middle of a massive living room. A door down a hall to the right opened and steps were coming towards her. Carol's heart started pounding. She was going to puke everywhere or pass out. What a way to be introduced.

"Your baby mama is here." Emily laughed loudly.

The man that came around the corner was not what she was expecting. He wasn't fat, balding, wearing a wifebeater and covered in sweat stains. Instead this man was tall and beautiful. That was the word for it. Handsome didn't quite fit. Carol sucked in a breath when his eyes swung to her and she got a good look at him. Emily looked exactly like him! He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. His cheeks reddened and Carol almost smiled. It faltered when she realized what her daughter said.

"Mom meet your sperm donor and dad meet your sperms destination." Emily was grinning.

"Jesus Christ Kid."

Emily flopped down on the couch and Carol looked between them. He eased his way into the chair across from her and Carol edged her way towards the couch by her daughter. What was the protocol with this?

"Well you two are making this weird." Emily deadpanned.

Daryl flushed again and let his head fall back on the couch. Carol had a hard time looking away from him. She would be a liar if she said she never questioned what he'd look like. What his personality would be like. To see it finally was startling and eye opening. She never expected that Emily really did look so much like him.

Her eyes swept discretely over the room and she realized it was absent a woman's touch. So no wife. At least she wouldn't have to worry about that awkward situation.

Daryl finally looked over at them and Emily elbowed her. She raised her brows comically. "I have an uncle."

Daryl snorted and Carol looked over at him. Carol's face reddened. Emily had no filter and she could imagine how many questions she'd thrown at him. He looked flustered.

"Well...nice to meet you." Carol smiled.

He nodded slowly and looked at her before his eyes quickly dropped. He chuckled and finally met her eyes. Those striking blue eyes jumped out at her. She'd been looking into those same eyes since the day her daughter was born.

"Daryl tell her what you do!" Emily prodded. "It's so cool mom."

Daryl's face flushed bright red and he rubbed his throat. Carol smiled.

"He builds bikes!" Emily said before he could open his mouth. "You remember when Milton said he accidentally knocked over a display at one of the places he does the books for? It was where Daryl works."

Carol knew exactly what her daughter was talking about. Milton and her both were friends from college. They'd kept in contact. He helped her with investments and she helped him by suggesting new clients. They'd formed a friendship. The story he told her about getting tripped up and knocking over several display bikes had her in riotous laughter.

Carol looked over at him suddenly. "What's your name?"

He smirked that same one her own daughter would get. "Daryl."

Carol's eyes widened. Now she understood why her daughter was laughing. She'd heard about Daryl before. Every time Milton went to where Daryl worked he'd get flustered. It was the reason he tripped. He hadn't expected seeing Daryl at all. He'd known they had a big draw for bike building but had yet to meet the man. When he seen him Milton had got distracted while checking him out and walked right into a display. He fell ass over feet into a display. Daryl was the one who pulled him up. Milton told Carol every horrifying embarrassing moment of it. His biggest comment was on Daryl's wide amused smile as he pulled the man up. He even told Carol he knew how much the damages were since he done the books. There'd been no reason for Daryl to smile but he'd pulled him up and asked if he was okay. Oh yeah, she'd heard about Daryl alright. Milton was going to die when he found out about him being Emily's dad.

Carol cleared her throat and fought laughing at the irony. She'd picked up Milton from there before. It'd been a stroke of luck or not depending on how you looked at it that she'd never seen Daryl. It would have took one look at him for her to put two and two together. There was no way this man could deny being Emily's dad. She was dug right out of his ass. How had Milton not noticed?

Carol watched as Emily kept baiting the clearly shy man into talking. He would chuckle or shake his head in clear amusement often enough at her over excited antics. It was for that reason that Carol lost track of time. She wasn't sure how long she'd talked to him explaining about Emily looking for him and her questions since she was young. It'd been a while that was for sure. Emily had fell asleep a bit ago but neither said much about that.

Instead she found it easy to talk to him. He answered without bullshitting her. He told her he'd gotten a letter but thought it was his brother messing with him. Carol didn't quite understand what kind of joke that would be but didn't question him about it. Instead she nodded and nudged her daughter after she seen the time. Daryl looked knackered and she could tell he was fighting sleep.

Emily cracked her eye open and glared. "Piss off."

Daryl barked a sudden laugh that startled both of them. Emily looked over and raised a brow at his sudden laughter. Carol herself was curious.

He cleared his throat trying to play it off. When that didn't work he shrugged., "She sounds like-"

"Merle?" Emily grinned at him sleepily.

He shook his head, "No, no. Like my dad when you try to wake him up." He smiled and it was amused.

Emily set up swiftly. Her eyes were wide and eager. Carol swallowed at the look. Emily was like a dog with a bone. She'd never met Carol's parents. They'd died when Carol was just eighteen after all. Of course Carol told her all about them but she knew her daughter craved more.

"Does he live close by?" Emily asked eagerly.

Daryl looked over at her and pushed himself standing. Carol watched as he stopped a massive fireplace. It plucked a picture up and studied it for a second. He walked back over and handed it Emily. Her daughter took it eagerly and Carol looked at it. There were three men in it. Carol wasn't sure who was who and just stared.

"He looks just like you." Emily's voice was soft.

"Who is that?" Carol pointed at the other man who looked nothing like Daryl.

"Merle." Emily answered for him.

"Will, my dad, lives about an hour and a half from here. He's on Fort Benning." Daryl offered. "He's going to shit when I talk to him."

Carol looked over and Daryl looked lost in thought. His dad was military? Apparently so. Looking at the picture again Carol could clearly see the look about him. He looked like an older version of Daryl but had a no nonsense look about him. Much like his son. The other man that was Merle was smiling widely and had a an arm around his brother.

"When can I meet him?" Emily prompted.

Daryl looked over sharply. He studied her and then looked at Carol. His face was red and she realized that he was going to have to explain the situation to his family. Carol didn't envy him. Instead she nudged Emily standing. The cat abandoned her lap and instead slinked off. Daryl scowled after it.

"I think we should head home. We've took up enough of his time for tonight." Carol laughed.

"But-" Emily protested.

"Emily, it's one in the morning. I think we should let him sleep don't you?" Carol interrupted.

Emily glowered at her but then turned a beaming smile on to Daryl. He looked uneasy. Carol wanted to laugh. Emily was a force of nature and she couldn't deny she was interested in seeing how this went. She was just hoping he didn't break Emily's heart. After all the build up it'd be a terrible letdown.

"I will see you again, right?" Emily's voice was pleading.

Daryl nodded. "Of course kid. I was serious about what I said."

Emily's smile turned ridiculously wide. "Good! I'll see you when I'm no longer grounded."

Carol glared at her daughter's smiling face. Daryl snorted again and tried to cover it with a cough. He stood and walked them out. When they were gone the ride was silent. Carol was silently fuming. Emily had scared the life out of her. What if Daryl hadn't been normal? What if he hurt her or kidnapped her? It could have been so much worse.

Instead she looked over at her daughter. She was sleeping, curled up in the front seat, with a smile on her face. Carol wouldn't refuse her seeing Daryl. It'd be wrong but there would be rules. They didn't know him after all and that would take time. Still Emily seemed lighter now and Carol was glad for that.

Her decision to be a single mother was hard. At times she'd wished that'd there been another there because she'd been stressed and it'd been overwhelming at first. It still was at times. Her hopes weren't up yet but she was relieved to know that he seemed nice. It was still shocking to see how much they looked alike. Or maybe not. Daryl was a carbon copy of his dad and apparently the genes run strong in their family.

The cards were in his hands. He seemed interested in getting to know Emily. That was all Carol could hope for. It was a great relief to know that if things worked out that he'd be there. That if something ever happened to her that Emily would have her dad and his family. With that she let herself relax. The chips would fall wherever they fell after all.


End file.
